Mike Smith, lead singer of the Dave Clark Five, died yesterday, and it made me very sad and angry. I'm sad because he was, by all accounts, a super-nice guy whose time remaining on earth was accelerated by a tragic fall that left him a tetraplegic; angry because, as a result of the snobbery of elitist music critics, he did not live to see the induction of his band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just ten days away.
The Dave Clark Five (Dave Clark- drums, Lenny Davidson- guitar, Rick Huxley- bass, Dennis Payton- tenor sax, harmonica, and Mike Smith- lead vocals, keyboards) were one of the most commerically successful British Invasion bands in the 1960's, selling over 50 million records and appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show a record 17 times. Their monster hits included, but were not limited to, Glad All Over, Because, I Like it Like That, Over and Over, Bits and Pieces, Can't You See That She's Mine, and You've Got What it Takes. This quintet, not the Rolling Stones or Kinks, were the real commercial threat to the Beatles at the start of the Invasion. They were gentlemen, fan-friendly, and clean-cut and, while never the equal of the Beatles, they were fun and good. Mike Smith, in particular, was one of the underrated vocalists of the 60's, a great blue-eyed soul singer. Eventually, their popularity waned as pop-rock music became more ambitious and artsy, and "serious" rock critics sneered at most of their work (and, for the most part, still do today).
It was this elitist attitude that caused Mike Smith not to be alive to see the induction of the Dave Clark Five into the R&R HOF, for the DC5 should have been inducted last year. To recount a story well-known within the music industry, the Dave Clark Five received six more votes than Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five for induction in 2007 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, Jann Wenner, founder of Rolling Stone and the driving force behind the Hall as self-appointed Chairman of the R&R HOF Foundation, used (according to some; others say he just flat-out rigged the voting) a technicality regarding when votes were due in to deny the DC5 their rightful place in the Hall, opining that the Hall could not go on another year without a rap act. He even shot down suggestions to have six inductees for the Class of 2007.
Insiders say the nominating committee for the Hall has been trimmed down in size by Jann Wenner to reflect tastes more aligned with his, which means more of an emphasis on critical darlings such as Patti Smith, the Flamingos, Ritchie Valens, and Leonard Cohen (all already in) at the expense of much more commercially successful acts that provided millions with fond memories, such as Paul Revere and the Raiders and the Monkees, the latter group not even allowed on this year's ballot solely due to Wenner. Thankfully, for the 2008 Hall vote, the accomplishments of the Dave Clark FIve were too vast to ignore, and the more thoughtful voters nominated them, as if to right last year's wrong. However, this gesture came one year too late, and, sadly, because of snobbery, Mike Smith will not live to see this great moment.
Was induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame important to Mike? Read this message he recently posted on his website: "This is something I have worked for all of my life, and to put it mildly, I am absolutely thrilled to death!!!!! (My wife) Charlie and I are definitely already making plans for crossing the pond in March to receive my award, and we can't wait to see all of you again. David is coming over for dinner... and we will all celebrate the good news!!! I haven't spoken to the other boys yet but I can tell you that David and I are really honored, and thank everybody that voted for us. WOW WOW WOW!" Years before, Smith said that he was not upset about not yet being inducted: "Oh, not at all. I mean, when the powers that be decide we should be in, that the Dave Clark 5 should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, then, you know, I hope it's before I depart from this earth. That's the only wish I have." Now, because of the whim of one man, he will not get that wish.
Mike, God Bless You and Your Widowed Wife. You were sweetness, class, and dignity personified. Your fan, Tony
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